1. Field
This disclosure relates to networks, the Internet and monitoring visitor access to Internet sites.
2. Related Art
The Internet is ubiquitous in modern culture. People use the Internet to search for products and services, to read news, to purchase music, to share photos, and for many other tasks. Because there are many websites available through the World Wide Web interface to the Internet, search engines have evolved to assist Internet users searching for web pages having desired content specified in a search query. The content may be descriptions of products available for purchase, product reviews, items to research, news stories, music files, people to find, and many others. Search engines index web pages based on words and other information included in the web pages. Web pages may be indexed according to key words and/or concepts. When an Internet user submits a search query, a search response that includes a search results listing of web pages having the same or similar keywords and/or concepts contained in the search query is provided.
To earn income, search engine providers may allow businesses to purchase a listing space in an advertiser link listing that is displayed adjacent to the search results listing in the search response. Along with a search results listing of indexed web pages, a search response may also contain a list of paid links that will direct a user to a website having products or information related or corresponding to the user's search query. This is a very popular form of Internet advertising. These paid links draw Internet users to the advertiser's website where the user may make a purchase. The increased website traffic resulting from paid listings is something businesses are willing to pay for. The search engine provider may earn income from advertisers who pay for inclusion of paid links in search responses. The search engine provider may charge an advertiser whenever a paid link is displayed in a search response. The search engine provider may charge an advertiser whenever an Internet user clicks on a displayed paid link contained in a search response.
Another way a search engine provider may earn income is to allow businesses to purchase improved placement in search results listings. A search engine provider may influence the position of search results contained in the search response based on whether a particular search result corresponds to a website of an advertiser who pays for improved placement. More specifically, if a search response includes a listing of 100 search results, and each search result corresponds to a web page from a different owner, the search engine provider may move the naturally occurring 8th result to the top of the search results list in the search response if the owner of the web page entered into a placement agreement with the search engine provider. The search engine provider may charge an advertiser when a web page link included in a search results listing is moved up to a premium position from a less desirable position in a search response.